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DC takes the comic world by storm!

So far, I’m really enjoying the DC “new 52" that has been emerging this month. I’ve only really been into comics for about a year now, but for most of that time I was pretty squarely in the Marvel camp. I started out on X-Men, Wolverine, and Iron Man. Slowly but surely, though, I felt DC drawing me in. I began reading Batman and Green Lantern, and learned more about the other characters in their “multiverse".

With the coming of the Flashpoint storyline and the relaunch of all of DC’s comics, though, the gentle tug was amplified a hundredfold. I am hooked, and now definitely consider myself a DC devotee. The new creative teams have been, for the most part, fantastic! The art has never been better, and the story arcs that are being teased with these first issues appear to be quite grand and exciting. The subtle (and not so subtle) changes to the comic universe have been overwhelmingly good, and I love the steps that have been taken to modernize the characters’ appearance.

Read on to find out what I enjoyed most so far.

Batman

Scott Snyder is my favorite comic author, so I was expecting this title to be high on my list. It delivered in a big way and is definitely my favorite of the relaunch. The art is a departure from the moody, feverish, and often disturbing work of Jock and Francavilla, but I really enjoyed it. It brings a feeling of heroism and frantic action back to Batman and worked quite well for the issue. I will definitely miss the old Detective art team and I can’t wait to see what their new projects will be, but I still found a lot to appreciate in the new art direction.

Animal Man

I’d never heard of Animal Man before, but this issue immediately made me care about him and his family as they are thrust into a terrifying new chapter in their lives. The portrait of a conflicted hero’s home life is quite interesting and amusing, expertly built up at the beginning of the issue only to be shattered by the stunning arrival a very dark trio of villains and a shocking revelation. The story is intriguing and the artwork is superb. This is definitely one you don’t want to miss.

Green Lantern

The Green Lantern universe is exactly the same as it was pre-Flashpoint, from what I can tell. This is still a very compelling story arc, though, and definitely a good entry point for new readers. Excellent writing and artwork make this a very enjoyable issue that I would definitely recommend to anyone curious about Green Lantern.

I also really enjoyed today’s Green Lantern Corps. It explored the fact that two of Earth’s Lanterns don’t have secret identities, and that has a profound effect on their personal lives back home. The story arc launched with this issue doesn’t seem like anything special yet, but I’ve got high hopes for the series as it moves forward.

Action Comics

The changes made to Superman in this issue are fantastic! Before the relaunch, I didn’t have the slightest bit of interest in this character. Grant Morrison has taken the boy scout and made him much edgier and more interesting. He has his own opinions about right and wrong, and they sometimes run contrary to the status quo at the Metropolis Police Department. I love how he is challenging the apathy and corruption in the government system and becoming a champion for true justice!

Honorable Mentions

In addition to my favorites above, I also enjoyed Swamp Thing, Red Lanterns, Batwoman, and Justice League. Detective Comics was okay, but it didn’t really draw me in. I think Demon Knights has promise, but it needs to pull together a more coherent storyline in the next issue. Resurrection Man was the only one that I’ve been truly disappointed by, and I probably won’t continue reading it.

I hope you’re enjoying the new 52 as much as I am! I can’t wait for next month’s #2 issues now!